Four Seasons
by WaitingWishing
Summary: Just as the seasons change, so does their relationship. A collection of stories between Ed and Winry.
1. Fallen Leaves

Alright, I decided to post a story that's longer than one chapter, and here it is. It's basically a collection of stories that I wrote, most of it is fluff, and some might be angst. I will add more depending on how much you guys like it, so yeah. I hope you enjoy! Please, don't forget to review!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Ed and Winry. I just like writing about them.

**Four Seasons**

_Fallen Leaves_

Autumn had taken its toll in Resembool as signs of its presence began to unfold. The weather had grown chilly enough so a sweater was necessary, leaves that were once a lively green were now transformed into shades of red, orange, and brown, while tree branches stood exposed to the cool air.

Fallen leaves lay lifeless on the ground. With a tiny leap, Winry smashed a few of them with her feet, making crunching noises from the bottom of her shoes. She laughed a little as she moved on to more, jumping and pouncing on them and quite enjoying herself.

"Ed!" she called to him. "You should try this- it's really fun!"

Ed, who was trying to rake the leaves into nice neat piles, had been watching her the whole time, half-amused, half-annoyed. Annoyed because she was just making more of a mess for him to clean, but amused since he found rather entertaining to watch. For some odd reason, he just couldn't take his eyes off of her; it was like she had a magnetic force that bound him to just watch her, appealed by something he did not understand.

"Edward?" the object of his wonderings stood before him, waving a hand in front of his face. "Are you ok?"

"Huh?" he snapped out of whatever he was thinking about. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"Are you sure? You look a little dazed."

"No, I'm fine... I was just-just thinking..."

"Oh?" she raised an eyebrow. "About?"

"Nothing," he quickly replied, gathering up a few leaves near him. She didn't seem satisfied with the answer, but she let it go anyways. With a sigh, she plopped down into the heap of leaves Ed had neatly piled, scattering a few of them as she came into contact with the mound.

"Hey!" he frowned. "I just raked those up a few minutes ago!"

"Oh, just lighten up. The leaves aren't going to stop falling anytime soon, so what's the use of raking them when there'll be more tomorrow?" she asked.

"Well..." he said, not really knowing what to say. She made a point about it though, so he was just wasting time on something that didn't really need to be done. Wishing he could have known that earlier, he abandoned the rake and fell onto the pile next to Winry.

"There we go," a smile played on her lips as she threw the remnants of a dead leaf onto his head. He laughed in protest, tossing some leaves at her before she sprung up and dashed away. He got up and chased after her, gaining up on her rather quickly. But she was tricky; she would make unexpected twists and turns to stay out of his reach, jumping over things that she was able to leap over to make it harder for him. This went on for a while until they collapsed onto another pile of leaves exhausted and panting for air, having had their exercise for the day.

"You're too slow," Winry teased lightly.

"Nah, I was just going easy on you," he replied, putting his hands behind his head.

"Well next time, you better not get soft on me," she warned. "I want a challenge."

"You got it," he responded with a small chuckle.

"What are you laughing about?" she inquired, rolling over to her side so she can face him.

"Nothing, it's just we must look like crazy, idiotic little kids running around like that."

Winry thought about this and broke into a laugh. Ed looked at her like she had gone mad before joining her; the two of them howling with laughter at something others might have thought wasn't so hilarious. But that's just how they were, enjoying each other's company and giggling at stupid things just because they were happy to have the other near them. Life would be good, just as long as they would have one another.

Still laughing, they laid there together in the sea of fallen leaves.


	2. Denial

_Denial_

I embarrassed myself too many times today.

I tripped over a book lying on the floor and landed on my face, I dropped my glass cup, making it shatter into millions of sharp pieces, I knocked over my cup of milk and it splattered all over the table, and I even put my elbow in the butter dish.

All this I did in front of _him._

The only safe refuge from my own destruction I can go to is my room, which is the place I am hiding right now. I don't know what's wrong with me, but with each look he gives me, I can't remember how to say anything and I just sit there, stunned. He smiles at me, and my legs turn into jelly. He compliments me, and I stare at him like an idiot.

I've caught a disease and he is my only cure.

But _why_ am I acting like this? I don't understand my own doings. Could it be that I like him in that more-than-friends way? Maybe that's why I feel so strange around him?

No, no, no, no! That is NOT it! I do not like him that way! That crush I used to have on him is gone with the wind. Disappeared into oblivion. Vanished into nothingness. He is my friend, my buddy, my pal. That's it! There are no lovey-dovey feelings between friends!

I scream into my pillow out of frustration and confusion. What is this feeling I have for him? All of this is so new to me yet completely familiar and I feel like a foreigner to my own feelings and emotions. It's not like I asked to feel this way. But it's not bad or anything, this feeling is sort of...

Well, _wonderful_.

Just like him, he is so undescribingly wonderful.

I start thinking about his sun-kissed hair that's tied into that messy braid of his, and the way his bangs fall into his eyes.

Oh, his eyes. Golden and so intense that I can feel his pain when he looks at me.

His smile that's goofy yet completely serious, it's contagious.

I laugh when I think about his height. As they say, all good things come in small packages.

Then he has that well-built body, broad chest, and that six-pack- not that I've been looking or anything. I just... noticed.

Oh, Edward.

Oh, Edward.

Oh... NO! I'm doing it again! I'm thinking about him! _I do not like him that way_! I don't, don't, don't damn it!

"Winry?" his voice sounds from the other side of my door, making me snap out of my own conflict with myself. I rush over get my brush, and start combing my hair just so that it looks perfect- no, no! What am I doing! This is just Edward we're talking about! JUST EDWARD!

I throw the brush onto my bed as he knocks a second time.

"Winry? Are you there?"

"Yes?" I ask, smoothing out my clothes absent-mindedly.

"Can I come in?"

I open the door for him in response, and he walks in, standing in front of me with a perplexed look. He's so close; I can smell the scent of soap on him, like he just got out of the shower.

Oh man, he smells good too...

"Are you ok?" he asks me. Aw! He's concerned about me!... Not that I care or anything because that's what friends do. They care for each other in that un-romantic way.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I reply with a reassuring grin on my face. "Completely fine!"

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, yes! I'm fine!" and the next thing I know, I'm blabbering. "I'm in tip-top shape! Never better! Absolutely honky-dory! Feeling great! Awesomely alright!" Crazy! I've gone crazy!

No, I've gone crazy over him...

He puts a finger to my lips in a polite way of telling me to shut up. "Ok, I got it. You're doing fine. I just came in here to make sure you were alright because you were acting a little weird."

Great, he noticed that. I mentally kick myself for my odd behavior. "Yeah, I'm just having an off day is all..."

"Well, don't worry about it. Everyone has those types of days once in a while," he sweetly smiles at me. Oh, he smiles. He starts off towards the door. "But if you ever need me or anything, I'm here to talk."

"Yes, talk. Right," I find it hard to look him in the eye now. "Thanks, Ed."

He nods his head, and quickly takes a glance at me before leaving the room. I let out a breath I didn't even know I was holding, my heart pounds at a fast pace. I collapse onto my bed as the "Wonderful Feeling" sweeps over me in waves.

I don't know how much longer I can live like this, having these feelings for Edward.

Better yet, I don't think I can live much longer in total denial.


	3. Like Thunder and Lightning

_Like Thunder and Lightning _

He is impatient and stubborn, and wants things to be done now, not later, not tomorrow, but at this moment.

Like a lit fuse, he is ready to blow at any wisecrack comment about his stature, hot-headed and ill-tempered with words as his number one weapon.

Emotionless and cold, he looks like he might not have a care in the world although caring is what keeps him alive.

She is patient, never rushing too much about anything, always tolerating some annoyances, always waiting.

Instead of words, she uses her wrench to do all the pain, inflicting physical injuries to anyone who comes in her way.

Sensitive and warm, she wears her feelings on a sleeve, expressing them through emotion, whether it be with a hug or with her tears.

He is like thunder.

She is like the lightning.

Together, they create that perfect storm.

A/N: Heh, sorry that was a little weird and maybe even confusing. This one was more of an experiment chapter.


	4. Four Leaf Clover

_Four Leaf Clover_

Spring had finally arrived; its presence was clearly evident through the green pastures, blue skies, and blossoming flowers. The aroma of the sweet bloom hung in the air like an intoxicating perfume. Everything that was once dead now flourished in life.

Ed inhaled the fresh air as he laid on the green grass, watching a few white puffy clouds float by in the sky above. He was glad for the beautiful day today, it gave him time to relax and enjoy the life that wouldn't be found in Central. He was happy to be back home, although the visit would soon come to an end, and he and Al would be on the road again.

He closed his eyes, not wanting to think about leaving this place, not wanting to leave her behind again.

"Edward, there you are!"

He opened his eyes to see blue ones blinking back at him. Her eyes. Sapphire orbs that he always got lost in when he gazed too long.

He sat up, and saw Winry, who had taken a seat next to him and was holding a little bouquet of freshly-picked flowers. She had a smile on her face, and he wondered if she ever knew just how lovely she looked. A blush on the cheeks was a signal that he had been gazing too long, so he turned away and glanced back up at the sky.

"You went flower picking?" he asked not looking at her, afraid to get caught staring at her again.

"Mm-hmm," she replied. "The flowers are so lovely this year round that I couldn't help myself." She smelled a red rose in her hand. A breeze strolled by, and a sweet fragrance entered Ed's nostrils, making him wonder if the scent was from the flowers or from Winry.

"I picked you something," she said, rummaging through her bouquet.

"Oh?" he asked, sitting up to see what she had gotten for him.

She held up a small plant with four leaves, and he knew instantly what it was. She handed it to him with a shy smile, placing it in the palm of his hand.

"A four leaf clover," he looked at it.

"It's supposed to give you good luck, so I just thought you could need it," she idly replied. "Especially with all that fighting you do out there, you could use luck on your side."

He stared at the clover in his hand with a small smile. "I don't need it."

"Why not?" she questioned curiously.

"Because," he looked over at her, gazing into her eyes, "I'm lucky to have you."


	5. Firefly

_Firefly_

He stood by, looking at her. Gazing at her. He didn't know why. Maybe it was because he had stumbled by on accident and found her here; maybe he was just curious and wanted to know why she was here in the first place. Whatever it was, he was completely subdued to just watch her. He found it peculiar though; how he was staring at this girl he had known practically his whole life like she was the only good thing to set eyes upon in this world.

Little lights from the fireflies fluttered around her, twinkling like the stars wheeling overhead. The moonlight glimmered on her face, bringing it more depth as it glistened on her flawless skin. Smiling, she jumped around, extending her hand to a firefly in an attempt to catch one. Even though the bug flew out of her grasp, her smile never ceased, never faded. Edward was sure that he didn't need to go to Heaven to see an angel; he was gazing at one right now.

"Edward?" she called, looking suddenly at him. It was so unexpected that almost lost his balance and he nearly fell over into the bush next to him. She grinned.

"What are you doing out here?" she asked, stepping over to him with a smirk. "Spying on me, were you?"

"No, of course not," he straightened up from his slight blunder. "I was just- just... taking a walk. Besides, what are you doing out here?" He asked, although it was already evident why.

"Well, I was just trying to catch a firefly," she replied with a sidelong smile. "I know I'm a little too old now to even try, but I couldn't help myself."

"Oh," was all he could think of to say as he shoved his hands into his pockets for better use of them.

"It's getting late," Winry said after a moment of silence. "We should head back now..."

"Yeah," he agreed, nodding his head. "Yeah, I guess we should."

They started their way back towards the house, neither speaking since they couldn't think of anything to say to the other. Half-way there, Edward broke the stillness.

"Winry?" he squeaked out much to his horror.

"Yeah?" she turned towards him. He wasn't looking at her, but sincerity was in his voice as he said,

"You're...you're pretty when you smile."


	6. Sunburn and a Healing Kiss

_Sunburn and a Healing Kiss_

The summer had definitely taken its toll, unleashing a wrath of endless heat upon the land. Breakfast could be cooked on the ground; the air the breeze carried was humid and warm. It was unbearable so everyone was found inside the refuge of their homes, trying to get away from the hot temperature.

Winry wiped away the sweat forming on her brow, setting down Ed's automail arm on her desk. Everything in the house was so quiet, which was odd since she hadn't heard any complaining about hurrying up from Ed practically all day. She didn't know where he could have gone in such weather, so it was anyone's guess.

_'Maybe he's over at the river,' _she mused, leaving her workroom to get some water. _'Or maybe, he went to visit his mother's grave...'_

The front door opened suddenly, causing Winry to jump up in surprise as Ed entered inside. Looking redder than usual, and a little put off, he collapsed onto the sofa with his back to the cushion and feet dangling over the arm of the couch.

"Where have you been?" Winry inquired, looking at him with her hands at her hips. "You've been gone all day."

"Nowhere," he groaned, putting a pillow over his face so that only his eyes were visible to her.

Winry sighed, sitting down in the empty space above his head. "Is that so? You've been nowhere this whole day?"

"Yes, now get off my back," his muffled voice said from behind the pillow. She shook her head, eyeing the cushion he was clutching so dearly on his face. A suspicious feeling told her he was hiding something behind that pillow, and she was going to find out what it was.

In a swift movement, she removed the pillow, glancing down at him. The first thing that caught her attention was how red his nose was from everything else. It was as if he had gotten a-

"Sunburn?" she asked. "You got a sunburn?"

"No," he denied, obviously lying. "It's not a sunburn."

She lightly tapped his nose with a finger, making him sit up as he yelped in pain. "Looks like one to me."

"Dammit Winry!" he hissed, wincing slightly. "Don't do that! It hurts!"

"How'd you get it?" she inquired, ignoring the scowling look he was shooting at her.

"I was reading a book under the tree outside and I fell asleep," he muttered. "Next thing I know the sun's beating down on me."

"Well, if it'll make you feel any better, I made some lemonade this morning," she got up, and headed towards the kitchen. "Do you want some?"

"Sure," he grumbled, feeling miserable about the sun's gift to him. It was enough that people were calling him short, but now that he had the sunburn, it was likely he'd get a new nickname: Edward the Red-Nosed Shrimp.

"Here you go, Ed," Winry reappeared, handing him a cup of cold lemonade. He took it, sipping down the cool beverage all at once, feeling the chilliness from the drink wash down his throat.

"Thanks," he gave her a small grin. She nodded with a smile, deciding to head back to her workroom to finish repairing his automail arm.

Looking over her shoulder, she saw him grimacing at his sunburn, feeling a little bad for touching his scalded nose. Feeling she should make up for it, she walked over to him, standing in front so she was face-to-face.

"Uh...Winry?" Ed inched back in the couch, uncomfortable about the closeness between them. "What are you...?"

Slowly, she leaned forward until her lips delicately touched his sunburned nose in a butterfly kiss. It was so tender, Ed barely felt it, but even so, it sent a tingling sensation throughout him. She pulled back, sapphire eyes sparkling and lips in a soft smile.

"W-what the hell-?"

"A kiss to take the pain away," was all she said before leaving the room. Ed stared after her, his face a darker shade of red than his sunburned nose.


	7. Sapphire

It's been awhile since I last updated this fic, so I decided to add another. This one's a kiddy fic that I've had for awhile. Anyways, enjoy!

_Sapphire_

Another day with a cloudless sky came upon Resembool like a much-needed blessing after the rained that poured mercilessly for a week without end. The sun was out, its warmth basking on anything it touched. Two friends in particular were enjoying the sunshine, taking advantage of the turn in the weather by doing almost everything outside.

Edward and Winry laid on the grass, huddled together over a coloring book, crayons scattered around them carelessly as the two colorized the pages.

"Please pass the yellow," Winry politely requested.

"But I'm still using it," Ed responded, holding it up.

"Oh. Then please pass the green."

"I'm using that one too."

"How can you be using two crayons at the same time?" she remarked.

Ed sighed. "Fine! You can use the green, but I'm still using the yellow."

"'Kay," Winry agreed, taking the green crayon to color the picture of a tree. A breeze picked up, whipping through her hair. A few strands fell into her face, and she swiftly brushed them aside.

"Stupid hair," she grumbled, wiping away the strands from her eyes.

Ed chuckled at how frustrated she was getting with her own hair, fighting to keep them away from her blue eyes. _No, sapphire eyes_, he corrected himself. Winry was the only girl he had ever met to have such a hypnotic gaze. One look into the sapphire orbs of hers, you were caught under a spell you couldn't get out of. This of course made it hard for Ed to look her in the eyes when he talked to her, so to avoid unnecessary gaping, he usually looked elsewhere.

"Are you done with the yellow?" she asked, glancing up at him.

Ed filled in a last part with yellow before handing her the crayon. "Can I have the red?" She rolled over the one he wanted, and they colored in silence, the only sounds keeping them company were Winry's humming and the crayons being pressed onto the paper.

"Bleh, I don't like the color orange," Winry broke the silence as she wrinkled her nose. "It's an icky color."

"Then what color do you like?" Ed questioned curiously.

She put a finger to her chin in consideration, before coming up with an answer. "Pink!"

Ed made a face. "Every girl's favorite color is pink!"

"It's a pretty color!" she shot back. "Besides, what's your favorite color?"

"Sapphire I guess."

"Yeah?"

Without realizing what he was saying, the words spilled out of his mouth,"Yup, sapphire's like the color of you're eyes, and I think your eyes are really pretty to-"

Oops.

Winry blinked twice. Ed felt his face burn with embarrassment and he avoided any eye contact, keeping his focus on the coloring book and acting like he hadn't said anything at all.

"You really think my eyes are pretty?" she quietly asked, a small blush coming along on her cheeks.

"Well, yeah," he said without registering the words in his mind first.

Her mouth formed into a huge smile, her face lighting up brightly. Next thing he knew, she had wrapped her arms around him in a hug.

"Aaww, Ed! You're so sweet!" she squealed. "That's the nicest thing a boy has ever said to me!"

Ed's first instinct was to break away from her, but he didn't understand the weird, warm, tingling sensation her touch brought. Maybe it was from the fact that he was in such close contact with a girl, or maybe it was from the realization that it was _Winry_ hugging _him_. What confused him even more was how he felt like melting, and how he felt rather... safe in her arms. He could've stayed like that forever if he wanted, but not far from where they were, he saw Al blinking at the spectacle before him with his mouth wide open. Abruptly, Ed pried Winry off, his cheeks as scarlet as the red crayon in his hand.

"Argh! Get offa me!" he broke free of her grasp, scooting as far as he could away from her. "Aw man, now I have a girl's cooties!"

"You're so immature!" Winry said, but was still smiling from his comment.

"Why must you get so touchy?" Ed hid tomato-red face by looking solely at the ground. "You didn't have to hug me, gosh!"

"Oh grow up!" she huffed, crossing her arms and throwing on a scowl.

"I am grown up!" Ed matched her scowl with a glare.

"Nuh-uh!"

"Yeah-huh!"

"Nuh-uh!"

"Yeah-huh!"

"No you're not!"

"Yes I am!"

"No!"

"YES!"

"NO!"

"I'm going home!" Ed shouted as he stood up and ran off. He dashed away from Winry, past Al who was still stunned to his spot at the hug he had witnessed, into his house, and upstairs to his room where he slammed the door shut. He vowed he would never talk to her again. Never ever, ever!

But then he saw in his hand Winry's red crayon, which he had apparently ran off with. With an exasperated "Oh man!" he retreated back outside to where Winry was to return what belonged to her. It was inevitable; he could never stay mad at her forever. As if nothing had happened at all, he laid down next to her in the cool grass and together they finished the rest of the coloring book with the earlier argument quickly forgotten.

And that night as all were peacefully lost in slumber, Edward's mind drifted to the thoughts of a certain girl with a hypnotizing and captivating gaze, her eyes the pretty color sapphire.

**OoOoO**

Please review!


	8. Sudden Realization

_Sudden Realization_

**OoOoO**

They were at it again.

Ed and Winry were at each other's throats with another argument, yelling and shouting loud enough to guarantee complaints from the neighbors. But they didn't care. They were too angry to bother with something like that.

The brawl started with Winry scolding Ed about his automail, which resulted in him getting smart with her, which only resulted with the two of them screaming at each other. This whole thing was ridiculous, so ridiculous Al, Pinako, and even Den retreated outside for a temporary relief from the noise, waiting for the storm to blow over.

"Ed, I worked so hard on your automail! How could you go out and damage it!" Winry yelled, waving her wrench threateningly. But Ed did not flinch, only raised his voice to match hers.

"It's not like I broke it on purpose!"

Scowls were given, each one glaring the other a painful death before the name-calling round began.

"You're so careless, you intolerable jerk!" Winry shrieked.

"Me? What about you!" Ed retorted. "Always so touchy and-!"

"Shut up you stupid idiot!"

"Don't call me stupid, stupid!"

"Temperamental shrimp!"

"Machine freak!"

"Alchemy nerd!"

"Mechanic junkie!"

"Bean boy with a height compl-!"

Before he realized what he was doing, Ed had pressed his lips on hers. He was mad and she was mad, and he couldn't take it anymore. Something told him to caress his lips with hers, so he did. Winry was surprised at first, stiff at the sudden move, but eventually gave in. Deepening, the kiss, he tilted his head to the side, running his fingers through her hair. A thousand sensations were running through his body. He didn't know what exactly possessed him to do it, he didn't know why, he didn't know how. But he did know one thing. He was kissing Winry Rockbell, his best friend.

And it was absolutely wonderful.

She pulled away softly, the two of them breathless and still caught up with the kiss. "What was that for?" she asked, cheeks a shade darker.

Her deep pools of blue gazed at him wonderingly. Ed had a notion that the whole thing surprised her. Hell, it even surprised him, but now he knew. He had had the urge to kiss her like that, tell her how he felt about her for a while now. He wanted to tell her everything, all that he had been keeping up bottled inside for so long. But he couldn't do it.

"Well, I got you to shut up for a minute," he said instead, muttering to the floor.

Winry let out a frustrated screech, whacking Ed over the head with her wrench before storming outside. The hit didn't have a force behind it though as he watched her go. Al peered inside, sighing as he asked, "What's she mad about this time?"

Ed gave a half-hearted shrug as he sat down on the couch, grabbing the nearest book and opened it.

**OoOoO**


	9. Her Most Prized Possession

_Her Prized Possession_

**OoOoO**

Winry set her screwdriver down, wiping the sweat from her brow as she decided to take a little break from work. She walked out of her workroom to see Ed, lounging around with an apple in his hand and feet on the coffee table.

He turned to her when she came in, asking with his mouth full, "Are you finished yet?"

With an exasperated sigh, she responded irritably, "No Ed, I'm not. I have other customers too, you know."

One customer in particular, Winry noticed, was making more visits to her house. Jessica her name was, who wasn't exactly Winry's favorite client. She had a haughty attitude, and a flirtatious behavior to match. She never had the decency to call Winry by her first name, it was always "Rockbell" when addressing her, or "Hey you." It only made the mechanic dislike her even more when she realized Jessica only came around to flirt with Ed.

The girl had obviously taken an interest in the braided boy, always joking and laughing, all the while batting her eyelashes and smiling cutely at him. Even after her order was finished, the girl still kept coming to see Ed. Winry tried not to make a big deal of it, shrug it off and act like it were nothing. But she could feel a monster inside of her trying to set itself loose as she watched Jessica strutting herself around Ed, running a finger playfully up and down his right arm.

Winry could feel her blood boil, fighting the sudden urge to tackle Jessica to the ground and keep her far away from Ed. It made her furious to see _Jessica_ twisting a strand of his hair with her finger, _Jessica_ redoing Ed's braid, _Jessica_ giggling at everything Ed said. _Jessica_ tinkering with his automail.

Winry snapped. The little monster broke loose from its cage and took over her mind. Whether it was jealousy that provoked her or her hatred towards the girl, she was going to put a stop to _Jessica_. Stomping her feet to make her presence heard, she paraded towards the two of them.

"Rockbell, what do you want?" Jessica demanded.

But Winry did not respond. Instead, she wrapped her arms around Ed from behind, resting her head delicately on his shoulder.

"Winry, what the-?" Ed said, taken by complete surprise. Winry narrowed her eyes at Jessica warningly as she brought Ed closer towards her.

"Ed, can you come with me to my room?" she whispered loud enough for all to hear, still glaring painful daggers at her target. "I have something to show you." Jessica, who had been gaping in shock, grabbed her things and dashed out the door.

"Oh dear. There goes one of my best customers," Winry said without a hint of loss in her voice. She slowly let go of Ed, his face a darker shade that it was before. He stared at her with curiosity and confusion.

"What… Why'd you do that?"

She met his gaze and kept it as she said, "I don't like other people touching what belongs to me."

Without another word, she strolled back into her workroom. Jessica was never seen again after that.

**OoOoO**


	10. Magic

Meh, this one didn't really turn out the way I would have liked it to... but here it is anyways. Hope you enjoy it anyways!

_Magic_

**OoO**

She remembers with a smile when she had asked her mother what it felt like to be in love; it was a cherished memory she had of her parents.

"It just feels right, sweetie," her mother had replied. Feeling a need to elaborate, she continued. "You want to be with that person forever, and you can't, not matter how hard you try, stop thinking about them."

"But how do you know if it's real?" Winry had questioned.

"You'll know it."

"But _how_?"

Her mother smiled at her daughter's want to know about things so complicated as love. "It'll feel just like… magic."

"Magic?" Winry replied incredulously. She frowned, still not understanding. Her mother laughed softly as she brushed a comb through her daughter's blonde locks.

"You'll understand what I mean when you're older."

And now she did. She finally knew what her mother was talking about, understood what it meant to be in love now that she had fallen in it. She knew when she couldn't stop thinking of him or when she couldn't wait till the next time she would see him. It felt right for her to be with him. It was complete bliss to know that she was loving someone and being loved back.

_Yes_ she thought, as he held her underneath a starry sky. _It is just like magic._

**OoO**


	11. An Equivalent Exchange

Just wanted to say **THANK YOU! **to all my reviewers. You guys rock my socks off, and all your kind words make me smile. Seriously, I appreciate it sooo much! You all deserve a cookie!

_An Equivelant Exchange_

**OoOoO**

It was raining when Ed had caught a case of the flu. He was coughing all over the place, unable to breathe through his very congested nose. His temperature was well in the hundreds place, making him feel awful and horrible. He hated getting sick, but pretended he wasn't to make sure the others wouldn't worry about him.

However, he was a horrible actor and Winry saw right through him. He looked terrible and she frowned at how he wasn't in bed trying to get better. So, she decided to take action in her own hands.

"Edward, get to bed," she said sternly, hands on hips to show she meant business.

"Why?" Ed asked through a stuffed nose.

"You're sick!"

"No, I'm-" Ed remarked but got caught in a coughing fit.

"Not sick, eh?" Winry took him by the arm, and led him to his room. "Get into bed. Pretending you're not ill won't solve anything."

Too sick to fight back, he cooperated, snuggling under the covers as Winry disappeared downstairs. She returned moments later with a bowl of hot chicken soup.

"Here, eat this," she handed him the steaming stew. "I'll go out and get some medicine, so I'll be back in a bit. In the meantime, stay in bed."

Ed nodded obediently, sipping the soup as he watched her head out.

"Wait... Winry!"

She stopped in her tracks, turning to him and asked, "Yeah?"

"I... uh, well..." he paused, trying to find the right words to sum up all he had wanted to say. "Just... thanks."

"Sure thing," she softly smiled and left the room.

888888888888

A few days later, Ed had gotten back to his usual energetic self, cured from the flu with the help of Winry. Having been occupied with making sure he had gotten to good health, she had forgotten that illnesses and sicknesses like the flu are contagious and caught the bug herself. Now she was the one with the coughing fits, stuffy nose, sore throat and high temperature.

"Oh man..." she groaned as she wiped her nose with a tissue. "Now I'm sick..." She collapsed onto the couch and closed her eyes, feeling the terrible wrath of the flu.

She felt something warm and soft wrap around her. Opening her eyes, she saw Ed, who had placed a blanket on top of her. He was holding a bowl of hot and steamy soup in one hand, a bottle of medicine in the other.

"You don't look too good," he said warmly, handing her the bowl.

"I don't feel too good," she replied and paused to look up at him. "Ed... why are you doing this?"

"Doing what?" he seemed slightly confused by the question.

"Being so nice and taking care of me... I mean, you and Al should be on the road by now. Didn't you say you were leaving today?"

"That was the plan, but I decided it'd be best to leave later," Ed replied with a shrug, fluffing up a pillow and placing it underneath Winry's head. "Besides, you take care of me. Now it's time I take care of you."

She smiled; his words alone were enough for her to get better. "In a way... it's sort of like an equivalent exchange... isn't it?" she asked timidly.

He returned the smile with a grin of his own. "Yeah, something like that."

**OoOoO**


	12. Eavesdropping

Um... some discretion in this one for all you out there with nasty minds. -smiles-

_Eavesdropping_

**OoOoO**

"But sir, I don't think they'd want to be disturbed," Riza said to Colonel Roy Mustang although she was wondering why Ed and Winry had shooed everyone out of the room so they could settle some "private matters." It was nearly an hour ago when the two of them ushered everyone out, and they haven't been seen since.

"Yes, but Fullmetal owes me a report," Roy insisted, stopping at the door as he raised a hand to knock.

"Sir-" But she was cut off by a small moan.

"Edward..." came Winry's voice. Riza's eyes widened in shock. Just _what _were they doing in there?

"One more time..." they heard Ed say pleadingly.

"You just can't get enough, can you?" Winry asked. Riza looked over at Roy, who had his mouth hanging open with a look of utter disbelief etched in his face. A question came to her mind, just how perverted was he?

"Oh, come on. This time I'll be the one on top," Ed replied. Hawkeye was feeling very uncomfortable at listening in on this and looked to Roy questionably.

"Sir, I think it'd be best if we-"

"Fine, but you better give me all you got this time," Winry remarked. "I've been on the top too many times already."

A few 'mmmm's and frustrated moans escaped through the door to the two people eavesdropping in. A heavy blush was set on Riza's face and she was really considering about leaving and taking Roy with her.

"I'm putting a stop to whatever they're doing in there," Roy declared abruptly, face pale.

Suddenly, there was a cry of delight that made him freeze.

"Oh, yyyeeesss!" Winry cried triumphantly.

"Please Winry, just one more time..." Ed moaned pleadingly once more.

"Fine!" Winry said exasperatingly. "You better pin me down good and hard this time, got that?"

Not wanting to hear anymore, Roy and Riza proceeded to kick down the door as Ed and Winry said in unison,

"One, two, three, four. I declare a thumb war."

**OoOoO**


	13. Poetic Apology

_Poetic Apology_

**OoOoO**

Ed was bored. When he was bored, he got fidgety. And when he got fidgety, he was usually on everybody's nerves or in the process of doing so.

Without much to do in the sleepy town of Resembool, he decided to see what the others were up to. Al was fixing a broken window; Pinako was smoking her pipe, while Winry was reading…

Wait, she was _reading a book_?

With an angry huff, Ed stomped his way over towards her, scowling as he asked, "What are you doing?"

She looked up, annoyed at this rude interruption. "Reading."

"I can see that," he rolled his eyes. "And just what exactly are you reading?"

"Poetry," she replied, loosing interest in the conversation as she became absorbed in the text.

"Why?"

"Because I like it," she said defensively.

"Why?"

She groaned. There was that stupid question again. "Because… because I just do, ok?" she snapped, frustration brewing.

Ed "uh-huh"ed, crossing her arms as he tapped his foot on the floor boards rhythmically. _Tap tap tap._

Winry frowned. "What are _you _doing?"

"No, the question is, what aren't you doing?" Ed barked back, pointing a finger at her. "You're supposed to be working on my automail!"

"I'm taking a break ok?" she fumed, slamming the book shut. "Why are you always nagging me? I'll get your arm done in time!"

"Yeah, in time for my thirtieth birthday!"

"Edward, if you don't shut up and leave this room, you won't even live to see tomorrow!" Winry yelled, using her wrench to make the threat more convincing.

Ed growled. "Gee, that's odd of you to say, especially when you're the one who's always telling me the exact opposite." He muttered loud enough for her to hear, "Hypocrite."

"I am not!" she cried.

"Then get back to work!" Ed said more forcefully than intended. He backed up a bit as Winry's face screwed up in anger, hot tears gathering in her pools of blue. She clenched the wrench in her hand, bringing it down so hard and strong that she was convinced it'd leave an imprint on his head.

"You jerk!" she shrieked before stalking out of the room, leaving an unconscious Edward on the floor.

* * *

Ed felt terrible and it wasn't because of the super-sized bump on his head or because of the crash-landing impact Winry's wrench made. He felt like the most horrible person on the face of the earth, absolutely and completely disgusted with himself. But why?

Because he had made her cry again.

He didn't know why he was overreacting back there or why he had to act like a total idiot, but one thing was for sure; he owed her an apology. He needed to tell her sorry, but he didn't know what he could say. He was never good at giving apologies or saying them. He racked his brain for something he could do to make it up to her.

_Come on Edward, think. THINK._

A little light bulb went off in his mind as an idea popped to life. He would make a poem for her! Yes, that would be it! She said she liked poems, didn't she? He grabbed a piece of paper and a pen as he sat on the front porch, thinking for a moment just what he could write the poem about. He stared at the white sheet in hopes that words would spring to life on the page, but when nothing happened, he thought harder.

Another light bulb turned on. He would make a poem using the letters of her name! He smiled at his genius ness, scribbling down the letter 'W' on the piece of paper. _It's just five letters, how hard could it be?_

The light bulb short-circuited as he gaped blankly at the 'W.' _Ok, so maybe this is going_ _to be hard_…_W stands for_… he tapped the point of the pen on the page, his mind thinking of words that started with the letter. _Whale? Walrus?_ He shook his head. Winry was not a whale or a walrus, or any animal for that matter. _How about… ah, got one…_

**W is for wrench, as in the thing you hit me with.**

He read that over, and instantly wished he had a talent for writing. Crossing that out, he came up with something else.

**W is for winsome. When I tell you that I think you're uncute or unsexy- don't listen. I'm just lying to you. You really are pretty. **

A tint had colored his cheeks, but he feverishly went onto the next letter.

**I is for…**

"Uuummm…" he looked at the sky in hopes of finding an adjective to describe her.

_Angelic? No, that's starts with an 'A.' _He shook his head; he couldn't have just thought Winry to be angelic. Because… she wasn't.

_Liar, and you know it_, an annoying voice said in his mind.

_Oh, shut up_, he snapped back. Fine, it was true, but there was no way in hell he'd tell her that. He would just keep that a secret to himself.

_Innocent?_ He thought about it for a second, but it just didn't feel right. _Infuriating?_ He chuckled to himself at that one. She was very infuriating and annoying when she was scolding him. But he quickly reminded himself that he was writing a poem to make it up to her and telling her she was infuriating would not help out at all, so he jotted something else instead.

**I is for irreplaceable. A girl like you who's so annoying yet very caring and patient is someone of unique quality. Seriously, I don't think there's anyone else out there who can take your place.**

Beautiful. He nodded impressively at how deep he could get. He was blushing like crazy by now, and he was glad no one else was around to see him.

**N is for neat. You're neat in that cool way. You're cool so you're awesome like that.**

There, that one wasn't so hard. Alright, he was on a roll. See, this poetry stuff wasn't so hard after all.

"Alright, next letter," he said to himself as he wrote down an 'R.' _R… R… Radiant? Responsible? _For some reason, those words didn't seem to fit. "Rrrrr… refined? No. Rrrr…romantic? Huh, maybe…"

He thought long and hard for this one that he was sure his brain was going to malfunction from all the words he was trying to process that started with the letter 'R.' He was starting to get irritated now. Okay, so he thought of what Al would write. He snorted; it'd probably be something random like ribbon or rabbit.

With a frustrated sigh, he leaned back on the porch lamp. He felt something tickle his back, setting down the pen to scratch it off, but this proved useless since he couldn't reach it without his right arm… _Wait, _right_ arm…_ Feeling excited, he jotted down some words.

**R stands for right. From all your hard work and toiling, I have a temporary limb to help me when I'm out there. I guess I could say that it's about the best present anyone's ever given me. You made it, and for that I am grateful.**

Yes, just one more letter! He clicked his pen a few times as he thought about this one. It was the last stanza in the poem, so it had to leave a good impression, right?

Smiling, he wrote down the rest of it.

* * *

Winry found Ed outside sitting on the porch. Still a little angry and fumed about their argument, she could have cared less as to why he was outside eating dinner. But she asked anyways,

"Ed, what are you doing out here?"

As though he had gotten a sudden boost of energy, Ed jumped to his feet, waving a piece of paper in her face in the same way a child does when wanting to show a perfect test score to their parent. "Look! Look!"

"What is it?" she asked, snatching the sheet from his grasp.

"Just read it!" Ed remarked. "It's a poem."

"_A poem_?" she asked, looking at him disbelievingly. She didn't know he had a capability to write poetry.

"Just read it!" he repeated irritably.

_This is going to be an interesting read_ she thought as she looked at the paper, feeling flattered yet hesitant.

**W is for winsome.**

She blinked, not having read the rest of it. "What does winsome mean?"

"Read the rest and you'll find out," Ed retorted, transfixed by an ant on the ground.

**When I tell you that I think you're uncute or unsexy- don't listen. I'm just lying to you. You really are pretty.**

A furious blush crept onto her cheeks as she stared at Ed with wide eyes. "Do you really mean that?"

"Well… if I didn't, I wouldn't have written it down," he replied, now taking a fascination in his toes.

She smiled softly as she proceeded to the next part.

**I is for irreplaceable. A girl like you who's so annoying**- she pretended to have skipped that-** yet very caring and patient is someone of unique quality. Seriously, I don't think there's anyone else out there who can take your place.**

She "aaww"ed, causing Ed to turn red in embarrassment. That was very sweet of him to say and surprisingly deep. She never thought he could be the poet or writer, giggling girlishly as she continued.

**N is for neat. I mean neat in that cool way. You're cool so you're awesome like that.**

Winry snorted. It was just like him to write something so casual after putting such a sappy line before. She guessed it was nice to be called neat, cool and awesome although Ed rarely said those words anyways.

She read the 'R' part with a happy smile, once again feeling surprised at him expressing his soft side. It was the first time he told her he appreciated his automail. She beamed at Ed, who was turning redder and redder by the second. She laughed softly before going onto the last one. She wondered what word he could have put that started with a 'Y.' She thought she would see 'Young' or something like 'Yellow,' or whatever. But then she read it.

She gasped.

Her heart began to race.

Air caught in her throat.

Blood began to rush to her face.

She forgot completely about the earlier fight, and all the arguments and times he had made her made washed away with the tears that sparkled down her cheeks.

Ed began to panic. "W-Winry, why are you-?"

He was cut off short when Winry leaped into his arms, wrapping herself around him in a warm embrace. Smiling, she whispered one word into his ear, "Ditto."

**Y stands for You because you are my all, my love. My everything.**

**OoOoO**

Sorry if this one was toooo sappy! Anywho, wanted to say **THANK YOU THANK YOU** **THANK YOU!** to all those who reviewed! You guys make my day with all your kind words. -smiles gratefully and gives you all a big huggle-


	14. Snowball Fight

I've been thinking a lot about snow lately. Don't know why. Anyways, here's a little fic that I classify as flangst- sorta fluffy sorta angsty. Hope you enjoy!

_Snowball Fight_

**OoOo**

Snow fell slowly to the ground; blankets of pure white smothered everything it touched. Resembool looked as though it were something in a snow globe and someone had just shaken it, making tiny flakes swirl playfully in the air.

Ed cursed under his breath as a jet of freezing air smacked him in the face. Clad in just his usual attire, he knew he should head back and seek some warm solitude, but his feet did not listen. Developing a mind of its own, they made him trudge forward, snow crunching, Ed swearing. He had no idea where he was going or why he had decided to embark on a difficult stroll in such weather; his feet and legs were doing the choosing.

As he wandered farther down the road, he saw a familiar head of blonde hair contrasting vibrantly with the white surroundings. He instantly knew it to be Winry. She was sitting be the frozen lake, which had been transformed into a frozen pond of ice.

She seemed lost in her thoughts, having not noticed his presence. She brushed her hair aside, exposing the back of her neck. A mischievous smile crept upon Ed's lips as he quietly knelt to the ground, packing some snow into a snowball. He aimed it at his target and threw it at Winry. She shrieked in surprise, jumping up to see who was guilty of the crime.

"Edward!" she narrowed her eyes at him, scraping out the ice that clumped in her hair. Ed smiled foolishly, almost too much so he knew and hoped she was too busy to notice.

"You little sneak, that was unfair," she said, eyes twinkling.

"So? What're you going to do about it?" Ed asked challengingly.

He never saw anyone make a snowball so fast. She was clearly an expert at making them.

"You know I'm going to have to get you back for that one," Winry smirked, tossing the snowball up and down in her hand.

Thwack. The clump of snow grazed Ed on the shoulder.

"Oh, that was horrible. You practically missed me," Ed snickered.

Thwump.

"Holy hell," Ed muttered as he brushed away the broken snow off his sleeve. "Hey, I only hit you once!"

"That was for calling me a machine freak earlier," Winry grinned innocently.

"Yeah, well that was worse than the other one. I've seen three year olds who throw harder and more accurately than you."

"Is that a challenge?" Winry asked demandingly.

"If that's what you want to call it," Ed snapped back.

He couldn't help but notice how blue her eyes were. Surrounded by the white snow, her sapphire eyes sparkled vibrantly. He could get lost in them just by looking, caught in her pools that were the color of the depths of the ocean-

A snowball to the face brought him back to reality. Winry laughed.

"How was that one?"

"Pathetic," Ed scoffed jokingly, wiping the cold remnants from his face. "You could try imagining someone or something that gets you really angry or really frustrated."

"I'm hopeless," Winry theatrically said, throwing the snow in her hand for a full effect.

"No really. Just try it- it'll work."

A small smile tugged at the corners or her mouth as she scooped up some snow. "Are you sure about this?"

"If I wasn't, I wouldn't have suggested it."

"Ookay." Winry closed her eyes and for a moment, they stood in silence. Something unexplainable passed by as she opened them once more, throwing the snowball at Ed. It hit his chest accurately, making a distinct impact that knocked the wind out of him.

"Ow, ok. That one hurt," he rubbed the targeted spot. "Geez, who were you thinking of?"

She looked to the ground as though she didn't want to reply. Reluctantly, with a small smile she said, "Someone who kept me at a distance for almost every important thing."

Ed's stomach twisted. As casually as he could, he responded, "Alright. Give it another go." Hesitantly, she gathered some now into her hands, molding it into another snowball.

Whump! Next thing he knew, snow was dripping down his shirt. Winry was glancing at him meekly, arms hanging by her sides. "He never tells me much anymore either."

Something churned inside of Ed; a feeling told him that this was headed to nowhere promising. Who was the "he" she was talking about? Unless she meant-

WHAM!

Ed stumbled back in surprise as another snowball pelted him in the torso. Winry's voice was a faint hush as she said quietly, "He made me cry…"

He froze stiff. _No, impossible. She… She couldn't have said that. I must have heard wrong-_

THWUMP!

She hit him again, and it came down even more than the one before, this time it slammed into his chest.

"He never bothers to call or write to tell me that he's alright…"

The twinkle in her eyes no longer gleamed playfully. It was sharp with a jagged edge. He stared at Winry, who refused to look up at him, face flushed. He didn't know what to do, what to say, so he just stood there, feet glued to the ground, stiff and still as a statue.

"He kept secrets," she whispered. "He's an intolerable jerk. He throws his life away like it was nothing."

The snowballs came hard and fast, feeling more like bullets instead of clumps of snow. Ed tried not to flinch, not to move, although he felt frozen to the core anyways.

It started to hurt. He never felt so terrible, so stupid, so-

"He forgot that he has a family here waiting for him!" she shouted, hurling the snowball so hard it made his stomach throb. The force of it made her stumble and she dropped to the ground, exhausted.

A ringing noise grew in Ed's ears. He didn't know what to do, he couldn't think. His mind had grown numb, a monster of guilt and regret gnawed at his insides. With a voice of a mere whisper, he barely heard her last words as she clenched the snow with her fingers.

"For making waiting so damn painful…"

As though someone has knocked him out, he collapsed onto the cold snow. No words could describe how terrible he felt with himself. How could he do this to Winry out of all people? How could he have hurt her so much? How could he be such an idiot?

He didn't know if he would be able to live with himself anymore or how he could make it up to her, or if she would allow him to at all.

"We… we should…" Ed swallowed the painful lump in his throat, pulling himself out of his own awkward misery. "We should head in now…"

"Yeah…" Winry replied, voice small as tears threatened her eyes.

He stood up slowly, not knowing if it was a good idea or not to hold out a hand to her. She stared at it, hesitantly, before reaching a hand to grasp with his. Instinctively, he clasped his other hand over her freezing fingers, wanting to keep them warm. He realized what he was doing and almost let go.

Winry got to her feet and quickly let go of his hand. They walked back to the house, keeping quiet, space distancing them apart. Half-way there, she stopped.

"Ed…" she said, finally looking up at him. Ed felt that painful knot tighten. "I-I'm sorry."

"Win-" Ed started but was interrupted.

"I didn't mean to hit you so hard, I didn't…Ed, I'm just really sorry."

"No," Ed said, locking his gaze with hers. "Winry, I am."

**OoOo**


	15. Ten Years

_**Ten Years**_

**OoO**

_The rain beat mercilessly on the rooftop, resounding musically as it made contact with the tiles_- pitter patter, pitter patter_- like its own wet symphony. The sound was soothing, calming almost that it had managed to cast three children into a sweet nap._

_Or, at least one of the three._

_Ten year old Edward Elric sighed as he sat on the couch in an upside-down fashion, feet sticking up in the air, head dangling a few inches from the floor. Next to him was Winry, who was doing the same thing, imaging what it would be like to see the world upturned. Trapped inside without much to do, there were beyond the brink of boredom and stumbled into a world of complete dullness with the rain as their main enemy._

"_I'm bored," Ed complained, kicking his feet. "Bored, bored, bored, bored, bored!"_

"_Me too," Winry agreed, staring at the ceiling. Alphonse, who was napping soundly on the other sofa, shifted in his sleep as he murmured something about an orange cat._

"_Let's go do something then, "Ed declared as he sat upright on the couch._

"_Like what?" Winry flopped right-side up._

"_Dunno," the elder Elric shrugged. "We could… play hide-and-seek?"_

"_Nah, we played that four times already," Winry shook her head and a few strands of hair shimmered across her face._

"_Tag?"_

"_Grandma said we can't make noise in the house."_

"_Um… we could draw?"_

"_You borrowed my crayons," Winry said as she shot him a look. "Which I haven't gotten back yet."_

"_I'll give them back to you later, sheesh," Ed muttered, sitting upside-down once again. He couldn't think anymore; boredom and the lack of something to do turned his brain into a pile of mush._

_The sound of the rain grew louder in the silence. Ed closed his eyes, wishing he had the power to control the weather. When his request went ungranted, he outwardly sighed once more. _

"_Hey Ed," Winry called out suddenly, poking him hard on the stomach. He tumbled to the floor from the unexpected jab with a thud, groaning as he scowled at her._

"_Whaddya want?" he asked irritably. "You didn't have to poke me like that!"_

"_Sorry, but I was wondering."_

"_Wondering what?" he questioned hotly._

"_Wondering what'll happen in ten years," Winry turned to him. "Don't you ever wonder about that?"_

"_Well… I don't know," Ed replied. He had never really thought about the future- all he knew was that he'd live out his life with his mom, Al and Winry. It was as simple as that, there were no complications to his plan and he was content with it. "But ten years is so long from now, Winry. We'll be twenty!"_

"_I know, I know," she waved the matter aside. "But what do you think will happen to everyone?"_

_Ed climbed back on the couch, pausing to think of a good explanation. Seconds passed before he came up with one. "Dunno."_

_Winry rolled her eyes. "Geez, Ed. You babble on and on about alchemy, and you can't even come up with an answer to my question? You're hopeless sometimes."_

"_Well, what do _you_ think will happen, huh?" he sneered. _

"_I think I'd be the best mechanic in the world!"_

"_Oh yeah? Well, I'll be the best alchemist in the _universe_," Ed proclaimed. _

"_Yeah, but first you have to grow taller," Winry stuck out a tongue at him playfully. "Shrimpy Eddie!"_

"_Don't call me that!" Ed yelled, throwing a pillow at her. Al stirred in his sleep, rolling over on his side and sticking a thumb in his mouth._

"_What's gonna happen to Al?" Winry mused, glancing over at the napping boy._

"_He's going to have cats," Ed said with a concluding nod. "Lots of 'em."_

"_And he's going to marry Julia," she added, referring to the girl that played with the three of them every so often. "Then they'll live happily ever after."_

"_You make it sound like a fairy tale," Ed remarked, wrinkling his nose._

"_Well, everyone deserves a happy ending," Winry responded somewhat dreamily as she gazed out of the rain-washed window. Silence crept its way back into the room, the pitter-pattering growling louder once more._

"_What about us?"_

_The confusion was evident on the young boy's face and Ed couldn't help but peer over at his friend curiously. "What do you mean?"_

"_You know, do you think we'll have a happy ending too?" Winry asked, taking her eyes off the window to look at Ed._

"_Yeah! I mean, you'll be the best mechanic, and I'll be the best alchemist- we'll be happy."_

"_And we'll still be friends right?"_

"_Of course!" Ed looked appalled at the very idea of not having Winry around. They had been friends for a long time now, so why not turn that time into some forever?_

"_Are you sure? Are you sure we will?" she asked, worried. "'Cause people change and stuff, and time changes things."_

"_Well, I swear things won't change-"_

"_Don't swear!" Winry gasped._

"_Why not?"_

"_Swearing's bad!"_

"_Ok, fine. I promise things won't change, except that we'll grow older," Ed replied knowingly. _

"_And taller," Winry snickered._

"_Hey, I'm looking forward to that," he threw another pillow at her. "And we'll have jobs."_

"_Plus, I'll be married to you," Winry happily said, only to have Ed stare at her like she had announced something incredulous._

"… _You want to marry me?"_

"_Yeah! I mean… you make me happy," she smiled shyly._

"_Oh… but you want to _marry_ me?" _

"_Stop saying it like it's a bad thing!"_

"_Ok fine…" a few lines of red tinged his face. "I- I wanna marry you too."_

_Winry's expression brightened, a blush playing across her cheeks. "Do you really?"_

"_Yes."_

"_Really really?"_

"_Really really."_

_She let out an excited squeal, her pools of blue glazing over with that dreamy look as she smiled. "We're gonna have a happy ending after all!"_

"_Well, everyone deserves a happy ending, right?" Ed asked, repeating her earlier words._

_Winry nodded eagerly, a wish growing with a wanting to fast forward time to live that fairytale dream. "We're gonna get married!" she cried in the utmost joy. "And don't you forget it, Edward Elric."_

"_I won't, I promise!"_

"_Pinky it," Winry extended her pinky finger. Ed did the same, hooking his finger with hers in a solemn oath swearing their promise made to each other. "Now neither of us can break it," she said before suddenly lunging towards Ed. He squirmed underneath her grasp, protesting wildly as she placed an innocent kiss on his cheek. He pushed her away and wiped the spot that had been butterfly-touched._

"_Ew, yuck!" he grimaced. "When we get married, you better not do that to me!"_

"_You're so immature!" Winry frowned although a grin tugged on her lips. She threw a pillow at him, only making the already embarrassed boy even more riled up. He threw one back in retaliation, but she had dodged it, dashing swiftly into the havens of the kitchen. Ed tucked another pillow underneath his arm, ready in pursuit as he went after Winry. This was war._

"_Hey, come back here!" he laughed, a hope burning, wanting to know if things would indeed remain this way for the next ten years…_

A roar of thunder rattled the windows, jolting a twenty year old Edward awake. The bed sheets lay tousled on the floor, pillows were everywhere except underneath his head as its intended purpose. He groaned and fetched one, stopping to glance outside. The rain beat mercilessly on the rooftop, just as it had done ten years ago… ten years ago…

The dream came to mind, the memory he had kept in the back of his thoughts, cluttered beneath everything else, only to resurface in the unconsciousness of sleep.

"It was just a dream," he said outloud to no one but to the darkness in the room. Sadly, he listened for a moment in the silence that comes with being alone before repeating those five words. "_It was just a dream_…"

With a heavy sigh, he climbed back into the bed that was meant for two and closed his eyes. He knew it wouldn't be easy to find rest, all he'd find was his mind wandering to the memory of ten years back, to the pinky-promise made with a girl with a butterfly-kiss that was left unkempt. To the happy ending he never got to have.

**OoO**


	16. Her Touch and a Smile

Oh dear, what is this? I have no idea. Just some short drabble I came up with randomly one day.

_Her Touch and a Smile_

**OoOoO**

It's hurting again, your flesh. Like thousands of hot blades piercing your skin, the pain sears your tissue and joints; every muscle cries for redemption from the turmoil inflicting your body. It's all the after effects of an automail fix. You know the pain quite well, but you'll never get acquainted to the way it taints every feeling of comforts you once had. Every sight of a panacea is swept away with the unending waves of agony.

"Edward?" a voice beckons. It's Winry, still in her work clothes. "Are you alright?"

Something of a groan and a muffled 'no' escapes your lips.

"Oh come on you big baby," she encourages. "Cheer up, would you?"

Cheering up seems beyond the point of possible, but as you look up, you see she's smiling.

You find yourself staring.

It's as though every feature in her face comes to life with that smile; cheeks brighten to rosy pink, lips a cherry red to match; the light in the room glitters in her eyes as though it were sparkling off the surface of a placid ocean. And that smile- pretty, isn't it?- captivating you with an unexplainable phenomena.

"Edward?"

Realizing you had been entranced too long, you look elsewhere. She's still smiling, but you don't risk the chance of being whisked away again, fall into a trap you've already gotten stuck in before.

She delicately pats you on the shoulder, a gesture meant to be friendly, but a tingle remains. You have no idea what it is.

"If you need anything, I'll be in the other room," she tells you before disappearing down the hall.

You close your eyes. Oh, what's this? Her smile's emblazed in your mind, and her touch, lingering in sensations. But why?

And somehow- as you move your right arm to achieve some comfort- that throbbing pain is gone. There's an undeniable solace, but you have no idea where it came from.

**OoOoO**


End file.
